Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoERIC ALBRECHT | DISPATCHMaurice Hale had a record-setting season at quarterback for Beechcroft in 2011, but he’ll be counted on to play defense and special teams for a Cougars squad with just 37 players.

A year ago, Beechcroft had 62 players, far fewer than the 100 or so who played Cougar football
when coach Bruce Ward began his tenure at the school as an assistant 12 years ago. But the
tradition-rich Columbus school — coming off a nine-win season in the City League and a Division II
playoff appearance — will begin 2012 with just 37 players and nine games on its schedule.

The year will test Beechcroft like none before it.

“It’s a tremendous drop-off,” Ward said. “We’ve been a playoff team and league champion, but we
are struggling. I don’t know if it’s concussion issues or the summer heat that has scared kids
away, but we are hurting.”

The presence of senior quarterback Maurice Hale should help ease the pain, although keeping him
healthy might be a challenge.

Hale, who set a school record with 2,087 passing yards last season, will rarely leave the field.
Most of his fellow starters will also play offense, defense and special teams.

“It’s all on us, but that’s a good thing,” said Hale, who will play cornerback and, at times,
long-snapper and holder.

“We’re just ready to go out and get after it.”

Hale — 6 feet 3 and 195 pounds — passed for 17 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season.
He also rushed for more than 900 yards.

His talent is so great and varied that Ward has had to tell his assistant coaches to back
off.

“He’s probably our best receiver,” Ward said. “He’s probably our best defensive end. The coaches
always want to try him out at every position, but I have to tell them that we should try someone
else, someone who doesn’t hold our offense in his hands.”

Hale was switched from safety to corner to minimize his injury risk. He has handled his
leadership role with care.

“He is our hardest worker and in these (younger) kids’ eyes, that gets the most at ntion,” Ward
said. “He is first in every sprint. Every lift he is doing every rep. He is the first player to
practice and the last player to leave. That is so valuable.”

Hale is among just nine returning starters, although his top receiving target is back, too:
Senior Khaleed Franklin led the Cougars in receptions last season.

Ward expects his top 11 players to play both ways for most games, as Franklin did for most of
the past two seasons. Hale might leave the field only for kickoffs and kick returns.

“I’ve told all my starters that they’re probably going to come off only for timeouts and at
halftime,” Ward said. “I told them they have Saturday and Sunday to rest.”

Although Franklin worries about the demands placed on his quarterback, he said Hale is up to the
task.

“You have to have a mean will to do it,” Franklin said. “There is some worry. It’s ironman
football, but he’ll be all right.”

Hale said he has enjoyed working with freshmen and sophomores during practice. He, Franklin and
receiver Darius Ford are the only skill players with Friday night experience.

“With the number of players we have, Maurice might not have the numbers to prove that he is one
of the best quarterbacks in the area,” Ward said. “That is just the nature of the beast, and he
understands that. We just need to keep him poised to make it, so he is not trying to do more than
he should.”

Beechcroft will begin the season against Dublin Jerome on Aug. 31, a week later than most of its
opponents. Independence elected to drop a nonconference game against the Cougars in favor of
opening against Mifflin, which had an open date.